BC GUILD of WINE JUDGES CLASS C4 - OTHER DRY WHITE December 2018 Presented by Jan Nilsson (Nanaimo Chapter)

BC GUILD OF WINE JUDGES CLASS C4 - OTHER DRY WHITE December 2018 Presented by Jan Nilsson (Nanaimo Chapter) FOCUS: CHENIN BLANC - OLD AND NEW WORLD WINE STYLES AFTER COMPLETING THIS SESSION YOU SHOULD KNOW: - The characteristics of a Chenin Blanc made in the New World wine style; - The characteristics of a Chenin Blanc made in the Old World wine style; - The areas in which Old World style Chenin Blanc are grown; - The areas in which New World style Chenin Blanc are grown; - The BCAWA Class description of Other Dry White DESCRIPTION: CLASS C4 – OTHER DRY WHITE This class contains all other white wines, either varietals or blends, which do not fit the descriptions of Classes C1 (Chardonnay), C5 (White Pinot), or C2 (Aromatic White Vinifera). A white wine to be consumed with food. Varietal vinifera wines in this class must contain 85% or more of vinifera varieties such as Auxerrois, Chasselas, Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Grűner Veltliner, Madeleine Angevine, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, or Trebbiano. The remaining 15% may be any ingredient. Blends in this class must not fit the definitions of C1, C5, or C2. Wines that include interspecific hybrid grapes are acceptable in this class and their ingredient percentages must be specified so their eligibility in the appropriate AWC class can be determined. Aromatic white grape varieties are acceptable in blends provided their impact is subdued. Non-grape dry white table wines belong in either this class or J1 (Country Table). Technical Characteristics: Alcohol: 9% - 13.5%. Colour: Pale bronze or bronze-pink to pale straw to light gold. No amber, brown or grey tinges. Sugar: 0.0% - 1.5%. Specific Gravity: 0.990 - 0.998. Acidity: 6.0g/L - 7.5g/L. PH: 3.0 – 3.7. DEFINING OF DRY WINE Wine grapes have varying degrees of natural sugars depending on the varietal, how late in the season the grape was harvested, and the level of concentration of the juices. During the fermentation process, yeast converts sugars from grape juice into alcohol. When a majority of the sugar is converted and residual sugar is less than one percent of the wine's volume (four grams of sugar per Liter), the wine is considered dry. HISTORY The French ampelographer Pierre Gale has theorized that Chenin blanc originated in the Anjou wine region sometime in the 9th century and from there traveled to Touraine by at least the 15th century. The grape may have been the variety described in two royal land grants of Charles the Bald in 845 detailed in the records of the abbey of Glanfeuil as growing on the left bank of the Loire river in vineyards belonging to individuals with the name of Soulangé and Bessé. When Thomas Bohier purchased vineyard land around Chenonceaux on January 3, 1496, several grape varieties were brought in from the Burgundy wine region of Beaune, the Jura wine region of Arbois and nearby Orléans and Anjou. One of these varieties, a white grape known as Plant d'Anjou was later planted between 1520 and 1535 at a nearby site known as Mont Chenin in Touraine by the Lord of Château de Chenonceau and his brother in law, Denis Briçonnet, the abbot of Cormery. Ampelographers believe that Plant d'Anjou was like Chenin blanc with the grape eventually taking on the name from Mont Chenin. From France the grape spread to South Africa where it was most likely included among the vine cuttings sent to Jan van Riebeeck in the Cape Colony by the Dutch East India Company. 1 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER GRAPES In 1999, DNA analysis has shown that Chenin blanc has a parent-offspring relationship with the Jura wine grape Savagnin. Additional DNA evidence shows that Chenin blanc shares a sibling relationship with Trousseau and Sauvignon Blanc (both grapes the likely offspring of Savagnin) which strongly suggest that it is Chenin blanc that is the offspring and Savagnin is the parent variety. Through Chenin's half-sibling relationship with Sauvignon blanc, the grape is related as an aunt/uncle variety to the Bordeaux wine grape Cabernet Sauvignon which is the offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Other DNA research has shown that a crossing of Chenin blanc and the Hunnic grape Gouais blanc produced several varieties including Balzac blanc, Colombard and Meslier-Saint-François. In South Africa, the grape was crossed with the Italian wine grape Trebbiano to produce Weldra and Chenel. Over the years, Chenin blanc has also been frequently confused with other grape varieties with whom it does not seem to have a close genetic relationship. This includes the Portuguese wine grape Verdelho grown on the island of Madeira Machupiclait and in the Azores as well as the Spanish wine grape Albillo which was confused for Chenin blanc in Australia. GROWING AREAS: In the presented wine flight of December 2018, we are exploring wines from the growing areas of the Loire Valley, France (specifically in the three regions of Saumur, Touraine and Savennieres) and the area of Cape Winelands, South Africa (specifically in the region of Franschoek Valley and the foot of the Stellenbosch mountains) as well as the Napa Valley, California, USA (specifically the Stags Leap District), TERROIR and TASTING NOTES: Loire Valley, France The Loire Valley vineyards are distinctive for the diversity of their natural environments, a result of the wide range of soils and subsoils present. Between Angers and Saumur we see the transition between the older bedrock to the west and the sedimentary basin to the east. The wines from this area shows a little citrus, a lot of peach, and a dusting of minerals. Bone dry and crisp. In the Saumurois and Touraine, the subsoil is made up of tuffeau limestone, sand and siliceous clay from the Paris Basin. The wines from this area is soft and approachable, with fresh fruit aromas of pears and white flowers. In Anjou the subsoil is mainly slate, sandstone and carboniferous schist as well as volcanic rock, all originating from the Massif Armoricain. The wines from this area have aromas of lime, flower, aniseed, grapefruit and minerals. Cape Winelands, South Africa Soils in Franschhoek area South Africa are largely made up of alluvial sandstone, although there are deposits of granite on the slopes of the mountains in the north. While heavy soils closer to the river have some water-retaining qualities, the sandy soils on the lower slopes drain rapidly. This means that despite the reasonable amount of rainfall in the area during winter, some irrigation is still required. Wines from this area show Green apricot, pear drop and tangerine fruit aromas with a somewhat shy nose while other wines show a nose with hints of baked pineapple and green melon. On the palate there is pear, vanilla, honey, toasty oak and citrus. Granite and sandstone soils are found throughout Stellenbosch. The high clay content means free draining and excellent water-retention properties. Sufficient rainfall in winter allows growers to keep irrigation to a minimum. The wines from this area show lemon, melon, mango, pineapple, honey and minerals. Napa Valley, California The Napa Volcanics California is a collection of rock types such as volcanic ash (tuff) glass lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, volcanic mudflows, and rocks. Found mostly along the west central part of the Napa Valley AVA, the broad band of volcanics also forms the underlying foundation of the northern one-third of the Mayacamas Mountains. In addition, virtually all of the hills and knobs within the valley are formed of Napa Volcanics, except for the Pine Ridge knob, which is underlain by Great Valley sequence strata. The Stags Leap District, marked by a dramatic outcropping of rock that flanks Napa Valley’s east side, was one of the first areas to be designated an appellation based on the distinctiveness of its soils. Four vineyards here—Pine Ridge Estate, Locked Horns Vineyard, Cornerstone Vineyard, and Circle Hill Vineyard— 2 feature soils that range from well-draining rock and sand to clay loam. The palisades high above help heat the district during the day; at night, vineyards cool down quickly under the influence of breezes from the nearby San Pablo Bay. The wines from this area show, oroblanco blossoms, honeysuckle, citrus, tropical fruit, and fresh cut green herbs. NOTE: Typical Aromas of a Chenin Blanc wine: Fruity: Apricot, Melon, Green Apple, Green Plum, Pear, Quince, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Greengage (a light green plum popular in France and England) Floral/Herbal: Orange Blossom, Wildflowers, Perfume, Honey, Honeysuckle, Acacia, Grass, Hay, Angelica (an herb that smells somewhat like celery, is often candied, and is used to flavor Chartreuse) Nutty: Almond, Marzipan Mineral: Flint, Smoke, “Steely”, Chalk, Geographic Regions The Chenin blanc grapevine buds early in the growing season and ripens mid to late in the harvest year. However, in warm years, the balance between the Loire's marginal climate and the warmth needed to attain full ripeness has the potential of producing wines with some depth of complexity and finesse. The age of the vine can have an influence on wine quality, with older vines producing naturally lower yields. When infected by noble rot, which also lowers yields and adds and intensifies certain flavors, the wines develop less overtly floral aroma notes but more depth and layers. Soil, Climate, Weather Effect On Style Of Wine The climate of a wine region will largely dictate whether Chenin blanc is produced in a predominately sweet or dry manner, while the vineyard soil type will generally influence the overall style of the wine. Heavy clay based soils, paired with the right climate, is favorable to the development of weighty, botrytized dessert wines that need time to age and mature.

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